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Follow Jamie’s Food Revolution Day

I think we’ve peaked here with the visit of Boris. It’s been the most amazing day, and by far our biggest Food Revolution Day yet. Well over 100 countries got involved, with 4,073 events happening all around the world – and reports are still coming in.

Of course, it’s all only just kicking off in the US and Canada, so just use the hashtag #FRD2014 to follow all the action on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. Jamie still has interviews with Channel 4 in the UK, as well as Slovakia, Germany and maybe Africa TV too. And watch the evening news whatever country you’re in – if FRD comes up let us know!

In the meantime, here is the big hitting news of Food Revolution Day 2014:

– Today we broke not one, but TWO world records. In Australia Woolworths supermarket SMASHED the record for the biggest single cookery lesson, with more than 2,000 pupils cooking along to a Jamie video. Then Jamie did a live cookery lesson on Youtube for the world watch. We know 4,000 watched the show and 9,000 schools held lesson, but we’re still waiting on the figure. Fingers crossed we’ll hit 1,000,000!
– More than 4,000 cookery classes, dinners, talks and tours took place in 116 countries around the world, run by lovely people who are passionate about fighting obesity.
– We reached 245 million people through social media, spreading the word about good food, healthy eating and the importance of food education.
– Jamie said that countries not demanding cooking lessons for kids by law are committing “child abuse”, and has called on the world for change.
– Jamie has called on the UK government to come outright and say they are fighting obesity.
– London Mayor Boris Johnson and his food adviser Rosie Boycott gave Jamie their blessing and congratulated him on the success of the day and the message it has spread.
– The kids at St Paul’s C of E school have made and eaten a lot of salad.

So that’s everything folks – thanks so much for reading, make sure you see all the lovely photos and news down below. A huge, heartfelt thanks from us and, of course, Jamie. Until next year, viva la revolution!

15.34pm
We’ve been excited by the visits of some celebs today, but this is the first time I’ve had a text from a colleague about one. It read “Boris. Run.” And run I did, to find the Mayor of London congratulating Jamie on an amazing day, inspiring people to eat and cook better food, and to get food education back on the agenda. He has given Food Revolution Day the great BIG thumbs up.

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15.05pm
More great news from our team of statisticians (it’s one guy). We’ve reached 4,073 events in 119 countries, and kind social media words by the likes of Steven Fry, Russell Crowe, Example, Zoe Ball, Rebecca Adlington, Ronan Keating, Naomi Campbell (!) and Peter Jones have lead to 245 million people seeing our tweets and facebooks! That’s one in every 14 people on earth!

Oh, and I forgot Moshi Monsters too!

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15.00pm
Time for a quick round up of everything happening around the world with a catch up from our cousins in Australia, who have sadly seen the sun set on their Food Revolution Day already… we’ve had lots of amazing events, with cooking lessons in all our Ministry of Food centres there.

“Wow! What a day!! As Jamie’s Foundation here in Australia, we are so incredibly proud and excited by how many kids (and adults!) got behind Food Revolution Day2014.

We had events from as far north as Ipswich, Queensland to as far south as Geelong, Victoria and assisted with events all over Australia via The Good Guys’ 103 Store network. The message was certainly spread today – Let’s Make Food Fun For Kids!”

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14.40pm
That’s it! Show’s over. Jamie hopefully just showed 1 million kids how to make a rainbow wrap – we’ll have the exact figure soon. In the meantime, enjoy this image of him offering a fire extinguisher to Chris Moyles, after giving him a rainbow wrap spiked with scotch bonnet chillies….if you like Chris Moyles it’s funny, but if he just reminds you of waking up for school, then it’s even funnier. I’m in the latter camp.

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14.33pm
If you aint watching, you’re missing out. Jamie’s just taught as many as 1 million kids how to make a nutritious and delicious rainbow wrap, and now they’re grating, mixing and stuffing their wraps! Meanwhile, the audience is getting involved too.

13.40pm
So how many people are watching? Well, 4,000 computers have tuned in, which means that to get to our million mark we need

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13.34pm
So this is Jamie in rehearsal, gesticulating in the way that only chefs know how! We’re going live in just 15 minutes. Jamie, his Food Tube friends and lots of school kids with be cooking up a rainbow wrap, and we’ve got schools all over the UK cooking along. We’ve even let Gennaro go to one to help out. If you’ve got the ingredients, you can too! For the last time, watch it here!

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13.01pm
Hangin’ out backstage with the talent for the show. We’ve got Aaron Craze, Cupcake Jemma, John Quilter (AKA the Food Busker), a Chiappa sister and Tim Schieff and pal, both freerunner extraordinaires. They did some mad stuff on the monkey bars at the school this morning. They will all be part of the live show, which starts in just under an hour, here!

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12.40pm
And we’re back! I’m in the green room of the live shoot at London’s City Hall. As you can see, the stage is set and Jamie is in rehearsal. He’s going to be cooking the rainbow wrap live (with kids! Who’s idea was that?) at 2pm on Food Tube. Click to watch it here.

11.00am
A brief intermission while we decamp to City Hall. In summary so far:

– Jamie said that countries not demanding cooking lessons for kids by law are committing “child abuse”, and has called on the world for change
– Woolworths in Australia have broken the Guinness World Record for the single largest cookery lesson ever, with over 2,000 kids cooking to a Jamie video at the Sydney Showground
– Jamie has called on the UK government to come outright and say they are fighting obesity.
– The kids at St Paul’s C of E school have made and eaten a lot of salad.

Next up, a live cookery lesson with Jamie over on Food Tube. Watch it here at 2pm BST.

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10.45am
Jamie is giving his last interviews before we go off to City Hall for our live cookery lesson. He’s finished with a strongly worded call for action around the world.

“From September, every kid up to the age of 14 will be taught to cook in schools. That’s great news, but what the UK is doing isn’t rocket science. Every country in the world needs to commit to this kind of change if they care about their children. And for those countries that don’t do it, in my mind that’s tantamount to child abuse.

“I’m asking parents around the world to expect more from governments and schools, and to get their kids involved at home too.”

So once the kids have finished eating and Jamie’s said his goodbyes, we’re running en mass to City hall for the live cookery lesson – you can watch it here at 2pm BST

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9.50am
Jamie’s been talking to the Press Association, saying: “The government is making the right noises but I haven’t heard any politician or important person in business saying outright that they are committed to fighting obesity. Maybe people aren’t interested, but when you have a school that’s doing food right, the results are testable and remarkable. So the naysayers are wrong.”

“I may sound like a broken record, but I’ve got our best interests at heart. There’s a small gang of us that do and will keep talking about it. Sadly governments come and go, but we don’t.”

Politicians might not be saying much about the fight, but by the looks of it, the kids are! Sorry about the badly placed cup. It’s chaos out here, but then, it is a revolution…

9.30am – BIG NEWS!
Just seen the stats for the day so far and it’s amazing. We’ve got 21,176 people already confirmed to be cooking along with Jamie later today, with 116 countries holding events involving just shy of 250,000 people! And that’s just the people that have contacted us. We’ve always said change starts with the small things – well, we’ve skipped that. This is BIG. Thanks so much to everyone. Keep reading!

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9.14amSo the alarm that usually wakes me up just went off, but I’m already four cookery lessons into today! Jamie has just taken a break to chat to BBC Breakfast again. Here are some snippets of what he said:

“I’ve made a commitment to lower childhood obesity by 5% in five years. We can all play our part. Mr Gove has put the UK on the right track and now it’s up to the teachers, who I know are really put upon. But I think they’re going to smash it. And the kids here today have enjoyed it, and that’s what it’s all about.”

He then proceeded to make pancakes.

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8.42am
This is Jamie telling some stories about his days as a pupil at school (let’s just say it’s lucky he can cook!) to the kids, while cycling to “wazz” up some smoothies for them.

Even more excitingly, our hashtag #FRD2014 is trending on Twitter so join the conversation on the following links …

8.04amJamie has just done his interview with BBC Breakfast and called on Michael Gove (Education Secretary) to “deliver on his promises” – then turned to the kids and started a chant for “FOOD REVOLUTION DAY!”. Jamie has long battled with Gove after the education secretary’s “free schools” were made exempt from school dinner reforms. In the last few days he has switched to support funding for school meals in these new schools.

Jamie was talking to John McGuire and will do so again at 8.50am, still at St Paul’s C of E school. Meanwhile, he’s been running around like a madman getting involved with the cooking lessons. Jamie’s bakery, the Flour Station, has been teaching kids to make loaves. Rising stars these guys… (I thank you).

kids cooking

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The first interviews of the day are underway, this time with Brazilian TV and Jornal Hoje. Don’t miss Jamie on BBC Breakfast at 7.50am and again at 8.50am. Double Jamie!

jamie brazil interview

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7.05am
We’re down at St Paul’s C of E school in east London, where there are wood-fired ovens in the playground, chefs running around like madmen and vegetables as far as the eye can see! Jamie is cooking up a storm with the pupils – there’s breakfast on the go, as well as simple green salads and pizza too!

Jamie cooking st Pauls

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6.34am
Morning people of Europe! The sun is shining bright and it’s finally Food Revolution Day. And what news to wake up to! Before most of us were even approaching that, though, our friends at Woolworths in Australia (the supermarket, not the defunct UK discount store) have SMASHED the world record for the biggest cooking lesson in one venue, with just over 2,000 kids cooking the rainbow wrap along with a Jamie vid in the Sydney Showground stadium.

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Morning all! It’s Food Revolution Day! Jonny Garrett, assistant editor of Jamieoliver.com will be with you around 6.30am BST. He’s with Jamie all day as he goes around London, so join us for lots of press interviews, behind the scenes news and pics then later, around 2pm BST, a live show and Guinness World Record attempt! In the meantime, for more details go to foodrevolutionday.com or follow the hashtag #FRD2014

About the author

Jonny Garrett is deputy editor of Jamieoliver.com. To say he loves food is an understatement, and to his mother’s dismay he is also obsessed with beer. If he could, he’d drink American IPAs and eat sushi all day, but he has settled for editing and writing blogs and news for the website. Follow him on Twitter at @beerchannel.

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